


Graymalkin Lane

by afrocurl



Category: X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Actors, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Inspired by Fanart, M/M, Schadenfreude
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-22
Updated: 2013-04-22
Packaged: 2017-12-09 04:04:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,568
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/769779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afrocurl/pseuds/afrocurl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sebastian Shaw has run out of patience dealing with TV executives who fail to see the potential in his pitches. Instead of falling on his sword, he pitches one last idea - an idea so awful it should fail. </p><p>But instead of being the pitch that has him laughed out of the room, he finds himself with a greenlit idea and a show to cast.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Graymalkin Lane

**Author's Note:**

  * For [keire_ke](https://archiveofourown.org/users/keire_ke/gifts).



> [Inspired by this art and conversation](http://keire-ke.tumblr.com/post/48521966995/theletteraesc-rozf-keire-ke-ill-just) between **keire-ke** and **aesc**.
> 
> Betaed by **firstlightofeos** and **ninemoons42**. At this point, any mistakes are my own.

Frost and Shaw were desperate. Well, that was not entirely accurate. The _Shaw_ of Frost and Shaw was desperate. He was tired of being shuffled from meeting to meeting with his ideas and being turned down, unceremoniously, for being _avant garde_ and not sellable.

Well, fuck them! Sebastian Shaw (with only minimal support from Emma) was going to change all of that. Their company had one more meeting today, and it was with WGBH, one of the most well-known PBS stations in the nation.

If they could sway the folks of the station to a new show, everything would work out. But as he sat in the lobby waiting for the executives to call to him, he thought better of pitching their most promising idea. He would rather go out in a blaze of glory, so he flipped through his folder for the one idea that he only brought out for shits and giggles.

 _Graymalkin Lane_ was an odd cross between _Sesame Street_ and schadenfreude - offensive on the whole with a few messages sprinkled throughout, which was normally just enough to placate execs.

It would not do for the execs of WGBH to know that the cast of the show was less a cast and more archetypes that he was sure could be found _somewhere_ in the world: a sex-starved alcoholic ex-professor who lived next to a taciturn man with a troubled past who had no need (or want) for sex and moonlighted as a social commentary comedian when the mood struck; an infamous Drag King who loved blue body paint; a stripper who would cut your head off if you touched her without her consent, who also happened to know Spanish; a former lab rat who desperately wanted to get back into the lab, but was held back from doing so because of his penchant for blowing things up; a former CIA agent who had lost her job after an off-book kill against the man who had killed her husband; a former Russian Black Ops who could kill you in three moves and not get a drop of blood on him; and mute who managed to be the best neighbor of them all.

Shaw knew this was the worst idea he could pitch, but he didn’t care right now.

Blaze of glory, right?

-

The meeting finally started; Shaw looked around at the room full of sycophants, and figured his pitch would end just like the rest of his career: a pile of shit.

But after he’d finished the brief character bios, something strange happened.

“We like it,” one exec said from across the table. “It’s subversive, which is all the rage for PBS stations right now. We have to count on something to destroy viewers in new ways if _Downton Abbey_ keeps up its death toll.”

“...Really?” Sebastian asked.

“Yes, really. It’s just on the cusp of being _en vogue_ and we’d love to produce it. How does a twenty-two-episode order sound?”

“Wonderful,” Sebastian said, trying to contain his complete and utter shock. “We’ll need a few weeks to cast the show, of course, but I think we can start filming in six weeks.”

“Perfect! We can’t wait to see the first episode.”

Sebastian walked out, still jolted, and pulled out his phone.

"Emma," he said, "they picked up Graymalkin." He waited for Emma's gasp, then said, "Yes, I know. I don't know what the fuck they're thinking, but I'm not going to turn down their support. We need to get on casting ASAP."

“Okay,” she said, “I’ll start on the casting calls in a minute. Do you have anyone in mind?”

“Ring up the usuals. I think Charles and Erik are good for the leads, if they aren’t too busy trying to not give in to stereotypes.”

“They’re over that phase, sugar. Didn’t Charles email you? They’re all for being a couple on their projects now. Plus, you know how much they like to bicker. I think they’ll work for Professor XXX and Mr. Magnus.”

“Hopefully they’ll agree.”

“Push hard, and remind them that PBS is the hot place to work right now.”

-

True to her word, Emma managed to get a cast together in a few days. Sebastian was particularly glad that Charles and Erik had agreed to do the show, and that they had no problem with putting their own twist on the neighbors.

Charles and Erik wanted their characters to fall in love. It was just one more reason why the show would be cancelled right after its premiere, but Sebastian didn’t mind their idea - it was inspired, actually. They were going to make a show that he had always wanted to make - in some fashion - and it was going to get him and Emma the recognition for being visionaries they’d always wanted.

At least, that was the hope.

When he looked at the cast for the table read, he wasn’t quite as sure.

Charles and Erik sat next to each other, looking so in love that it almost ruined Sebastian’s lunch. Raven, who had been cast as Mystique the Drag King, walked around covered in the blue body paint she was going to wear. Hank, the lab rat, looked like he should belong in a lab with a set of glasses that looked right out of the 1950s. Angel, the stripper, looked like she’d spit in your face for looking at her the wrong way. Azazel, the Russian, actually looked the part, and for a moment Sebastian wondered if Emma had found him through Central Casting and instead of via any casting directors they knew. Moira, the former CIA agent, looked as hard-nosed as he imagined the character should be; she sat looking over the cast and saying nothing. Janos, the mute, giggled as he talked to Angel, looking as welcoming as his character was supposed to be, only with more noise.

The cast, when he and Emma wrote the treatment, had seemed impossible, but there were actors at the table that all seemed perfect for their roles and that made Sebastian press on. “Welcome, everyone to _Graymalkin Lane_. We’re going to start with our first script and go from there. You’ll all have fittings with wardrobe later--except for you, Raven--and then we’ll work on hair and make-up later if we have time.”

Everyone nodded, and Sebastian sat down and opened the read.

“Exterior: A New York neighborhood with brownstones and a few trees. Professor XXX walks out from his apartment.”

-

The show was progressing nicely, all things considered. The table read went well, and Charles and Erik - as well as the rest of the cast - were all getting along with the crew. They were slated to start filming today, and soon all the good luck that he’d been having lately would fall through the cracks.

He’d worry about watching his dream die later as he watched the director prepare to shoot the first scene.

-

The weeks passed quickly; before Sebastian even knew it, _Graymalkin Lane_ was set to premiere. He had managed to orchestrate a night off for everyone involved in the show so they could all watch it together at Sebastian’s home. He had grown to like all of the people who appreciated his vision, and he hoped that the rest of the country would. As the minutes ticked by and the show was closer to airing live on the East Coast, Sebastian grew nervous.

It had been one thing for WGBH to agree to produce the show, but now he had to worry about everyone else in the world.

Could they see the schadenfreude for what it was?

He forced that idea away and walked into the living room, wanting to at least talk with some of the cast before the premiere.

“Charles! Erik! Thanks for coming,” he said as he looked at their nearly empty glasses.

“We wouldn’t think of missing this. We’re very excited to see how everyone else likes Professor XXX and Mr. Magnus’ relationship. No one loves enemies turned friends turned lovers better than America, right?” Charles said.

“I couldn’t agree more. Have you seen any sort of buzz so far?” Sebastian asked after a beat.

“Our twitter followers seem excited enough, though I tend to think them a bit pedestrian,” Erik replied.

“Shut it! We’ve been getting tweets for weeks wondering about the on-screen relationship between our characters. You did the right thing in not releasing that information.” Charles beamed at Erik, a lovesick expression, and before Sebastian could say anything else, they walked away and found a couch.

“Okay, everyone. Ready?” he asked as the clock on his cable box clicked over.

“Ready!” the room called back, everyone falling silent as the cold open started.

Sebastian watched the episode, pleased with the final product. Everyone looked at their phones from time to time, gauging public reaction.

When the episode finally ended, Sebastian looked up to see the room full of smiling faces. “Good reactions?”

Charles and Erik looked at each other. “Someone’s already set up a _fuckyeahxxxmagnus_ tumblr, so I think that bodes well,” Charles said.

Raven piped up, “Someone wants to be Mystique for Halloween - body paint and all.”

Sebastian grinned, almost in spite of himself. The show that he pitched as a lark might actually be a hit. He and Emma might not be forced from the business.

Small mercies, he thought, walking over to pour himself another drink.


End file.
